It is known in the prior art that carbon fluoride compounds of the type, CF.sub.x, are active cathode materials in non-aqueous cells. Particular interest has centered on systems employing this cathode material, a non-aqueous electrolyte and a highly active metal anode such as lithium or sodium.
As an example of such a system, Braeuer et al. have disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,337 a high energy density battery composed of carbon fluoride of the general formula (C.sub.x F).sub.n, wherein x lies in the range of 3.5 to 7.5, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. This translates to an x range of 0.1 to 0.28 using the general form of the equation, CF.sub.x, as stated above.
In the Watanabe, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,532 the patentees describe a high energy density battery utilizing CF.sub.x where x falls in the range of 0.5 to a maximum of 1. The carbon fluoride cathode material prepared from crystalline carbon (i.e. graphite), exhibited higher energy densities and improved discharge performance when compared to (C.sub.x F).sub.n. Additional disclosure by Watanabe, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,502 describes also a high energy density system employing carbon fluoride of the type CF.sub.x wherein x is in the range of greater than 0 and up to 1 and is prepared from amorphous carbon sources such as charcoal, activated carbon or coke. These cells exhibited extended shelf life due to the stability of the carbon fluoride in the electrolyte. In both of these systems, the electrolyte was a non-aqueous solution of an organic solvent (i.e. propylene carbonate and the like) and lithium perchlorate. The anode active material is an alkali metal such as lithium or sodium.
Another cell which is composed of carbon fluoride that has an x value of greater than 1 and up to and including 2 is described in Gunther U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,590. The materials of that patent are described as exhibiting higher energy densities than the prior art due to the increase fluorine content.
In accordance with the present invention, a novel cathode composition is provided comprising the electrochemical activity of carbon fluoride chloride, (C.sub.y F.sub.x Cl.sub.z).sub.n. We have discovered that this material offers substantial improvements in discharge characteristics over prior art fluorinated carbon electrode compositions when used as an active cathode material in a non-aqueous cell. The several features and advantages of the novel cathode composition of the invention will become apparent from the description in greater detail which follows.